what’s happening to the “old” waterfront park (between the spiffy new one and Washington Harbor)? I was shocked last week when I found the old park completely walled off with that ominous-looking “we’re gonna build something here” chain-link fencing.

So what’s the deal? Is the old park going away?

Never let it be said that GM doesn’t take requests. So here it goes:

The Georgetown Waterfront redesign was envisioned as “extending from the Washington Harbour complex to Key Bridge, creating the vital last link in 225 miles of parkland from Mt. Vernon, Virginia, to Cumberland, Maryland…[it] will be the largest park to be created in the Nation’s Capital in 30 years—since the completion of Constitution Gardens on the National Mall in 1976.”

Construction of the revitalized park was planned to happen in two phases. The “spiffy new one” that Jay Reeder mentions is Phase I. It was completed this summer, and improves the waterfront experience immensely. Construction on Phase II has just now begun. It is expected to take about two years to complete. So to answer your question, yes the old park is going away. So what’s replacing it?

Courtesy of the National Park Service

Phase II will be the final link in the chain. It will have a prominent water feature, a large pergola, and steps down to the water to give access to watersports and to serve as seating for regattas.

The water feature, sure to be a kid-pleaser - Courtesy of the National Park Service

Frankly, compared to the current park, it doesn’t look like the final park will be that different. However, the stairs down to the water and the water feature will probably be popular additions. Also, they are trying to “anchor” the whole park with a plaza right below Wisconsin Ave. GM is always a little wary about “plazas” as they tend to be either wind-swept or sun-baked expanses of nothing, but this design combined with the surrounding natural beauty should result in a park we can be proud of.

7 responses to “Georgetown Waterfront – Phase II”

I’m going to miss the ‘old’ park, and my waterfront runs are going to be less interesting for a couple years, but the Phase 2 park looks like it’s well worth waiting for (love the stairs, fountain, and pergolas).